As I’ve grieved my father’s recent death, I’ve thought about updating my book. Not right away. Maybe I’m just trying to get my mind off his passing. Still, please help me decide.
Here’s the thing: my blog subtitle reads “Love, Learn & Live with Bipolar Disorder,” and my book title is Blogging for Bipolar Mental Health.
Though I consider myself a mental health advocate, I write about what is happening in my life. I don’t just write about living with bipolar disorder. I have it, but it’s not the focus of my daily life.
My blog began when my father-in-law was in sepsis over four years ago. My worries over his health crisis and how it would affect my husband triggered hypomania. So, I wrote. I wrote to cope with hypomanic symptoms. To gain control over racing thoughts. To allay anxiety.
As the years passed, I’ve written about raising my son, my mother’s stroke, and my father’s dementia. Most recently, I’ve been writing about grief.
The grief takes me in waves. I’ve been crying more and more often as time passes. Still, it’s been a healthy grief. My medication, psychotherapy, family and support systems help me stay stable.
Grief can trigger worsening of mental illness and can lead to situational depression. But, so far I’ve been mourning my father’s death well, or so I think (perhaps I’m just well defended).
What you you think? When I feel up to it, should I update my book, adding content written since September 2017? Should I change the title and cover to more accurately reflect the content written? What are your thoughts? Any suggestions?
Should I Change My Book?
Comments
30 responses to “Should I Change My Book?”
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🙂 <3
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Exactly what I was thinking right before I read your comment. I agree. Grieve first. Taking care of myself is of primary importance. My family comes next. Book or writing, distant third.
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Sorry for your loss. Grieve first and then your intuition will tell you what to do. Hugs&prayers <3
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You’re right. My plate is full now.
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Thank you.
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Thank you!
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True.
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Your blog site has these two columns ( Who’s Kitt? & What About God? ). Your journey is still developing, but the second has some unique areas with mystic psychosis, Freud, etc. Think you could create a book for each column of outlined subtopics, starting with “What About God?. As with other comments, you are are doing quite well getting through your grief period and next month you will help teaching some mental health providers. That would seem enough to handle presently.
?? Have a Blessed Fourth. God Bless + Take Care !!! -
Hi Kitt-update when up to, when it feels right there’s no rush. I think an update would help people going thru similar situations. As for renaming you blog, A reference to living life with Bipolar opens up the conversation to your life and where it takes you. May your Dad rest in peace. M
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I truly believe that if you’re going through something very real, within your life, and you want to be true to your readers, then your book should reflect it. I believe you know this too, you just need a little validation as to your decision. I personally, am looking forward to reading your book, and believe that if your totally going to be true to your readers, then maybe you should reprioritize the foundation of your book. Either way, I’m positive it’ll be a great read, and good luck with it! Also, I’m so sorry for the losses you’ve encountered, but revel in the fact that it’s seemed to make you a stronger person, as does the bipolar. I suffer from it too, and it’s refreshing to see a strong, independent, responsible woman, relating her experiences and being true to whom she is. Thank you for sharing, and looking forward to more of your work!
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Maybe your perspective on life has changed now, and a new book could reflect this.
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Already on your path Kitt. Who says your not following your heart 😀 <3
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I agree. Time to sit with and grow from the grief.
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I think your last paragraph is on target. Refill. Refresh. I’m doing updated NAMI Provider Education training in late July, then speaking on a panel of women and mental health in San Diego on July 31st. So, I do have plans to give to others.
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I think you’d do well to start another project entirely, as soon as you feel like it. Dealing with grief is enough for a whole other book. It’s amazing how much we grow from something so painful.
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A change is in the air. This usually means you have finished one project to create a vacuum for something new to come in. And whatever comes in requires the wisdom of what you have learned before.
What do you want Kitt…I know you love to write, it is a focusing tool. Maybe an extension of that focusing tool…write, but this time share it with others, as in maybe counseling others who have Bi Polar etc, but in a new way. Hospital visits, home visits or by phone…even other family members need help too, they are in an uncharted place and your wisdom in your experiences of counseling and literally going through this would help them to function on an even keel much faster than wandering aimlessly unable to comprehend, and help those going through a very difficult time.
I realise that it may be confronting to do this, and myself as a healer I sometimes feel overwhelmed when dealing with some situations, but if you keep it very controlled in the hours you give, it may allow you to express yourself on a different level as well as the satisfaction of helping those that are struggling to find their feet and courage while dealing with something that would leave many floundering.
Just a thought…and much love, light and blessings kind lady, as your writing has already helped many.
Maybe you just need to sit at the beach occasionally and just do you…the most important person in the universe. You cannot give from an empty vessel young lady, and it does need a refill now and then, especially after your last project 😀 <3 -
Thanks. I’m rethinking focusing on bipolar disorder, as I’m not all that disordered, mostly because I’m well medicated.
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Road trip! Lake Tahoe?
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Yes. I guess that blogging suits me. At least for now.
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Right now I probably have enough on my hands as is. But, I do wonder if I misnamed it, and want to reformat paragraphs (that I could do without changing content or title).
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Good question. Maybe it doesn’t matter. I can just leave it as is.
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Kitt,
Think about eliminating “disorder or disease” from your new update. I think simply calling it Bipolar works better for the Neuroiversity perspective. I haven’t read you yet (along with several others) as I’ve been into my edits on my project for some time.
Sometimes going back into revamp a project isn’t all that productive. Doing a companion / follow up book (even if you think it will be too short…it may balloon) can work outside your earlier “frame”…especially if some of your impressions have changed. Write about evolving rather than revising – my two cents. ?
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Thanks, Bob – that’s so thoughtful of you! Have a good night!
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I still need to think about your question and I promise will do that tomorrow as I’ll be sitting in the backseat of a car for 5 hours!!!!! 😉
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I’m sorry for your long as Kit. No matter the circumstances losing a parent is a sacred pain. How about a novella of your grief process; almost like an addendum or ‘final chapter’ so to speak? I’m guessing it would serve as a healing process; really either way. This is why we all write. 🙂
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Bob brings up great points. I wonder who the other blogger/author is because I’m nosy. 😉 Kitt,you might want to check in with Rebecca Lombardo about this-I think she’d be a good sounding board. She updated her memoir “It’s Not your Journey” and published a second edition although it has the same title.
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You’re the second blogger/author I’ve read this week considering or planing to change a book already on the market. I just tried to think of books I’ve known with multiple editions. Virtually all of them have been text books, but the memoirs of living writers are an interesting case. I think that changing the title with clear reference to the old title and that it is an update might be the way to go to avoid confusion. The question I wonder about is what to do for the people who already own the original.
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Thank you. God bless you for your healing prayers.
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My heartfelt condolence. Healing prayers for you.
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